EXCLUSIVE — A Utah mayor seeking to challenge Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) is positioning himself as the best conservative alternative to replace the one-term incumbent in 2024, and a slate of local state legislators is rallying behind the movement.
A group of 11 elected officials and other state leaders endorsed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs in next year’s Senate race, showing a sign of growing local support after launching his Senate bid in May. The endorsements include backing from a number of local council members, underscoring Staggs’s emphasis on pushing his small-town roots while running for statewide office.
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At least two Utah mayors have thrown their support behind Staggs, including Kearns Mayor Kelly Bush and Cottonwood Heights Mayor Mike Weichers. Staggs also garnered the backing of five current or former council members throughout the state, who lauded the Riverton mayor for his conservative principles, something Staggs says would be central to his campaign.
“I have worked with Mayor Trent for a long time now on issues facing the county, and I’ve seen firsthand the courageous lengths he’ll go to in order to defend conservative principles,” said Sheldon Stewart, a councilman for Salt Lake County, which includes the capital city of Utah. “When he gets to D.C., I know he will be a powerful voice for Utah.”
Staggs also benefits from a number of high-profile endorsements from national Republicans such as Mark Levin, Harmeet Dhillon, and Charlie Kirk, as well as from prominent GOP groups, including Turning Point USA.
Staggs is the only candidate who has declared his intent to primary Romney, who has not yet announced whether he intends to run for reelection. Romney has already filed his reelection with the Federal Election Commission to allow his campaign to begin fundraising, but the junior senator from Utah has remained tight-lipped on what his plans may be.
However, Staggs could still face an uphill battle in the fight to replace Romney, especially as other local Republicans eye the coveted seat.
Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson launched an exploratory committee earlier this year, reporting a record-breaking sum raised by a GOP Senate candidate or potential candidate in their first three months. Wilson has not yet declared a Senate bid. Wilson has raised roughly $2.2 million since launching the committee in April, leaving him with more than $2.1 million cash on hand.
If all three candidates run, it could set the stage for one of the most competitive GOP primaries of the 2024 cycle.
If he runs for another term, Romney would benefit from his long reputation as a prominent national figure, previously serving as the governor of Massachusetts and being chosen as the 2012 Republican nominee for president. However, the Republican senator has attracted backlash due to his willingness to break with his party on several issues, especially regarding former President Donald Trump.
Romney is the only Republican senator to vote to impeach Trump twice, making his chances unclear in the reliably red state of Utah, which voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020 by wide margins. However, conservative anti-Trump sentiment is more pronounced in Utah than in other red states, which could boost his standing.
Recent polling shows Utah voters are split on whether Romney should run for another term, with only 47% saying he should run compared to 51% who say he should not, according to a poll from the Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics. Another 3% said they were unsure.
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Meanwhile, Romney has expressed confidence in his chances should he run for a second term.
“I’ll make that assessment over the coming months, and sometime in the spring or summer, I’ll make that decision,” Romney told reporters in February. “I’m confident that I would win if I decide to run. I’ll have the resources, and I believe the people of Utah would be with me.”